1 2 The Wild Elephant. 



alleged antipathies are in a great degree, if not altogether, 

 imaginary. The habits of the elephant are essentially 

 harmless, its wants lead to no rivalry with other animals, 

 and the food to which it is most attached flourishes in 

 such luxuriance that abundance of it is obtained without 

 an effort. In the quiet solitudes of Ceylon, elephants 

 may be seen browsing peacefully in the immediate 

 vicinity of other animals, and often in close contact with 

 them. I have seen groups of deer and wild buffaloes 

 reclining in the sandy bed of a river in the dry season, 

 and elephants plucking the branches above and beside 

 them. They show no impatience in the company of the 

 elk, the bear, and the wild hog ; and on the other hand, I 

 have never discovered an instance in which these animals 

 have evinced any apprehension of the elephant. Its 

 natural timidity, however, is such that it becomes alarmed 

 on the appearance in the jungle of any animal with whose 

 form it is not familiar. It is said to be afraid of the 

 horse ; but from my own experience, I should say it is 

 the horse that is disquieted at the aspect of the elephant. 

 In the same way, from some unaccountable impulse, the 



lignatoresque exanimes nunciabant, ut English romances, reprinted by Weber 



i:eleriter arma caperemus, venire e in his Metrical Romatices of the I'^i/i. 



silvis elephaQtorum inimensas greges i^th, and tst/i Centuries. 



ad expugnanda castra. Imperavi ergo " porth went the kyng thenncs with hy; 



Thessalicis equitibus ut asconderent Qf the lorme-ward he herd grete cry 



equos, secumque tollerent sues, quo- For hy weren assailed of oHfauntz. 



rum grunnitus timere bestias noveram, xhe kyng highed, and his sergeauntz : 



et occurrere quam primum elephantis Ac, so I fynde on the booke, 



jussi nee mora trepidantcs gy p^rus conseil hogges hy took 



elephant! conversi sunt Quieta nox And beten thc7n so they shrighttc : 



fuit usque ad lucem," (P. 58.) Another The olifauntz away hem dightte ; 



allusion to the same legendary inci- For hy ne have so mychel drade 



dent will be found in the Lyfe of Of nothing as of hogges grade." 

 Alisatmder, one of the most ancient Wkrer, vol. i. p. 237. 



